The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands

This 2025 edition marks the 43rd year of assisting sailors and vacationers cruising the tropical waters of both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.  This edition is packed with the latest information on navigation (including key GPS coordinates), customs and immigration regulations, weather, communications, marinas, haul-out facilities, chandleries, dive services, shore-side services, shopping and an indispensable wealth of other valuable information.

The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands is filled with detailed charts of the various anchorages, supported with colorful aerial photography in addition to piloting, anchoring and shoreside information. The Island Connections sections provide valuable telephone, email and website information to make finding island businesses, services and restaurants effortless. Additionally, the guide includes a free, fold-out color 27” x 17” planning chart covering the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.

This guide covers the Virgin Islands including all the U.S. and British Virgin Islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and all the smaller islands in between. If you are sailing south to the Leewards we include a section on passages from the Virgins to the Leeward Islands. The Cruising Guide to the Northern Leeward Islands picks up where this guide leaves off, beginning in Anguilla

About the Author

Cruising Guide Publications was created by Simon and Nancy Scott while living aboard their sailboat in the British Virgin Islands, and later, working in the bareboat charter industry for twenty years. There was a need for comprehensive guides to aid cruisers and charterers exploring the Caribbean island chain. These guides include not only navigational information, but also the rich history of the Caribbean islands, folklore, the flora and fauna, as well as where to go for diving, snorkeling and shore side entertainment and of course, what to do in an emergency. We have made it our mission to answer all the questions we had from charterers and cruisers and to add details and background about the islands to enhance the cruising experience.